1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a gripping device for use in weightlifting.
2. Description of Related Art
Exercise and fitness is a prevalent part of many individual's lives. Many forms of exercise exist in order for one to main their fitness level including jogging, weightlifting, exercise machines, aerobics, yoga, bicycling or swimming. Weightlifting in particular provides various benefits to the participants such as weight loss, improved muscle tone and increased strength. Weightlifting is typically accomplished by using either weight machines or free weights. Free weights are handled on barbells or dumbbells. One of the drawbacks, however, to weightlifting is the development of calluses and the risk of blisters on the individual's hand. Many of the barbells and dumbbells used are made of metal therefore lifting of the weights may cause injury to the user's hands.
Weightlifting gloves have been developed which are used by many weightlifters in order to alleviate some of the drawbacks associated with weightlifting. Many of the weightlifting gloves are leather gloves that fit over the hand and have additional padding on the palm portion in order to provide protection and comfort for the user. Many of the gloves used for weightlifting do not enclose the entire hand and frequently allow the fingers to remain open. Other means that address this problem include the use of grips specifically designed to provide padding for the palm area of a weightlifter. Many of the grips designed are held in place through the use of finger loops or wrist bands that wrap the grips around the hand and allow the grip to cover the exposed palm. One of the drawbacks of using the existing gripping devices is the inability for the grip to remain stable while the weightlifter is performing their exercise.
One example of a palm grip is U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,679 which discloses the use of a gripping device which consists of a single resilient flexible pad formed of a flat sheet of elastomeric material such as rubber, latex or the like. This gripping device relies on the hand gripping pressure to remain in a stable position to sufficiently pad the hand. Such a grip, however, may have a tendency to fail after repeated use and would lose stability over a period of time. Various portions of the palm are exposed during exercise. Another drawback to this particular palm grip is that the palm core must be strapped onto the hand using a strap that may diminish its stability over a period of time over repeated use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,660 discloses an exercise glove that uses a pair of straps to hook and loop connectors around the back portion of the hand and provides a palm structure that covers the palm of the hand in order to provide a gripping pad. This particular gripping pad shares some of the drawbacks mentioned with the above prior art in that the pad itself may diminish in its ability to remain stable over a period of time and the pad itself must be strapped onto the hand of the user.
Consequently it is advantageous to provide a gripping pad that overcomes some of the drawbacks of the prior art and provides the weightlifter with maximum protection and the greatest flexibility in use.